The Twelfth Night
by forensicsfan
Summary: COMPLETE Grissom's out for a few weeks. Sara's on caffiene overload. Catherine is temporary supervisor. Nick has a really strange case. And Warrick and Greg have a bet going.
1. Default Chapter

Sara Sidle walked into the break room in search of coffee. This was the twelfth straight night she'd worked and somewhere in those twelve nights she'd worked three double shifts. She needed coffee right now like she needed air. As she approached the coffee machine she realized that the last person to have a cup had left about a quarter inch in the bottom of the coffee pot to just bake on the burner. The remnant resembled sludge.  
  
"Crap! That's all I need tonight." She swore under her breath as she banged around the break room in search of a clean coffee pot and hopefully Greg Sanders' favorite stash of Blue Hawaiian coffee.  
  
A voice from the doorway of the break room broke through her reverie. "I'd hate to be the coffee machine right now." Catherine Willows stood there grinning.  
  
Sara glanced up and just glared; irritation clearly showing in her voice. "I'm really not in the mood right now, Catherine."  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Just trying to lighten the mood in here, Sara."  
  
Sara didn't comment and continued looking for Greg's coffee, a new stream of curses escaping her mouth as she slammed her finger in one of the cabinet doors.  
  
Warrick Brown sauntered into the break room. "You'll never find his secret stash. I think he keeps it in the DNA lab."  
  
Sara stood up straight and glared at Warrick. Without a word she marched past Catherine and Warrick and headed toward the DNA lab in search of Greg.  
  
Catherine raised a curious eyebrow at Warrick. "Any idea what's got her in such a foul mood tonight?"  
  
Warrick shook his head. "Just tonight? No, but I'd place my bet on sleep deprivation."  
  
Catherine chuckled wryly. "Sounds like somebody needs a little more than coffee."  
  
The distinct Texas drawl of Nick Stokes interjected. "You must be talking about Sara."  
  
Warrick chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah, how'd you guess?"  
  
Nick just rolled his eyes and then glanced at Catherine. "What are our assignments, Ms. Temporary Supervisor?"  
  
The team had only found out a few days before that Grissom had not been out of town as they assumed, but had actually had surgery to arrest a progressive hearing loss. He had been out for two weeks already and was expected to be out another two.  
  
Catherine glanced at the two younger CSIs. "Well, first order of business, I've tried to get Sara to take a night off. She won't. Maybe one of you can talk some sense into her before she bites the wrong person's head off. I've got people from days itching for the overtime."  
  
Warrick raised his hands. "Hey, you saw how she glared at me. That's becoming a regular thing with her." Warrick glanced at Nick.  
  
Nick just chuckled. "Oh, so you want me to talk to her. Alright, I will. I'm not afraid of a sleep deprived Sara Sidle." He walked out of the break room in search of Sara.  
  
A few moments later, Greg walked into the break room looking a bit frazzled. "Uh, I'd watch out for Sara if I were you. She's on the warpath today."  
  
Warrick chuckled. "Yeah, we know. What did she do to you?"  
  
"Let's just say that I told her where I hide my coffee rather than risk my manhood." Greg grimaced as Sara made her way back into the break room. All eyes were fixed on her.  
  
"What are you all staring at?" Sara looked at them with annoyance clearly etched on her face.  
  
Greg just handed her the bag of coffee and turned around and walked out of the room. Warrick raised his eyebrows and followed Greg.  
  
Catherine leveled her gaze at Sara. "You need a night off. Take it before you get put on leave." Catherine walked out of the break room and headed down the hallway toward Grissom's office which was temporarily hers until he returned.  
  
Sara wasn't quite sure what had just transpired. She felt like a freight train running out of control and wasn't sure how to stop it. She stood there looking a bit shell shocked when Nick walked back in.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Sara?"  
  
It took her a moment, but then she glanced up at him. "What?"  
  
Nick stepped a little closer to her, his voice was tentative. "Are you ok?"  
  
She looked at him, but it didn't really register what he was saying. "What?"  
  
Nick walked over and took the bag of coffee out of her hand and placed it on the counter. "You need some sleep."  
  
She looked at him with a slightly perplexed look on her face. "I can't"  
  
Nick sounded firm. "You need to."  
  
She shook her head. "No, you don't understand. I can't sleep. I've tried, I just can't."  
  
Nick chuckled softly. "Maybe it's because you've been drinking coffee the way you breathe air, Sidle?"  
  
Finally, a hint of smile broke through. "Very funny, Nick."  
  
Nick's tone changed to one of concern. "Seriously, Sara, you've been biting people's heads off. You need to take a night off."  
  
She looked at him and his words seemed to register. "Did Catherine put you up to this?"  
  
Nick nodded. "Yeah, she did, but she's right. You need to take a night off and relax."  
  
"I don't even have cable." Sara just stared out the window of the break room watching people as they walked by in the hallway.  
  
Nick chuckled and directed her over toward the couch, pulling her down next to him on the couch. He casually put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug. "Sara, take the night off. Go to my house and use my hot tub and cable and just relax. Make yourself at home, ok."  
  
She looked at him slightly bewildered. "You have a hot tub?"  
  
Nick nodded. "Yeah. What's the big deal?"  
  
She crossed her arms in front of herself and raised an eyebrow at him. "You've been holding out on us, Stokes."  
  
Nick chuckled and shook his head. "No, I haven't. I had it installed a few weeks ago, and none of us has exactly had time to do much socializing."  
  
A semblance of a grin crossed Sara's face. "Ok, you're on."  
  
Nick raised an amused eyebrow. "Alright. Here is the key to the front door. There are towels in the bathroom, and the universal remote for the home theater system is on the coffee table. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, but don't open the blue container, I went out for ribs the other day."  
  
Sara wrinkled her nose. "Thanks for the warning."  
  
"I'll see you after shift. Go relax." He handed her the keys and got up off the couch, pulling Sara up with him.  
  
For the first time in over a week, Sara had a smile on her face. "Thanks, Nick." She quickly left the lab to run by her apartment to pick up her swimsuit before heading over to Nick's.  
  
Nick sauntered down the hall toward Grissom's office. He knocked softly and then poked his head in and grinned at Catherine; a smile firmly etched on his face. "Mission Sidle accomplished."  
  
Catherine looked at him mystified. "What did you do?"  
  
He grinned. "I sent her to my house to use my cable and hot tub."  
  
Catherine narrowed her gaze at Nick. "Since when do you have a hot tub?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "I just had it installed recently, I just haven't had a chance to invite anyone over to use it yet."  
  
"Way to go, Nicky." Catherine handed him a slip of paper and grinned. "You've got a strange one out on I-15. Couple of body parts, the highway cleanup crew thought it was road kill at first. Brass will meet you there. Call me if you need help, I've got to finish this paperwork."  
  
Nick headed off to meet Homicide Detective Jim Brass somewhere out on I-15 and Catherine went back to her paperwork shaking her head and chuckling at how easily Nick took care of the Sara situation. 


	2. Nick at Night vs Nik at Nite

Nick arrived at a gruesome scene along I-15. Jim Brass met him as Nick pulled up in his department issued Tahoe.  
  
"Hey, Nicky, this one should keep you busy." Brass had a wry smile on his face.  
  
Nick raised his eyebrows as he took in the scene. "Obviously not our primary crime scene."  
  
Brass chuckled. "I knew you were my favorite CSI for a reason."  
  
Nick just smiled in a lopsided fashion. "How much did they find?"  
  
Brass gestured toward the roadway. "I little bit here, a little bit there."  
  
Nick glanced over at him. "Got lights?"  
  
Brass nodded. "Yeah."  
  
Nick spent the next several hours photographing and bagging pieces of mangled flesh. He was glad for the assistance the cadets that Brass had called out provided. They did a grid search of the area and by the time they were done, they had found thirty-seven pieces of what Nick assumed were parts of several appendages of human origin.  
  
David the assistant coroner arrived on the scene to take the body parts and bring them into the morgue. Hopefully, there were viable prints on some of the fingers and they would be able to make an identification through AFIS or make a DNA match through CODIS.  
  
Nick was fairly certain of one thing. The pieces had been purposely cut up and disposed of. Whether this had been a homicide was yet to be determined, however, the primary scene where the death had occurred was still a mystery.  
  
He made his way back to the lab thoroughly exhausted and smelling like decomposing flesh. As he walked into the building, Catherine caught a glimpse of him. "Looks like one hell of a crime scene."  
  
He glanced at her and just shook his head. "Hellacious is a good way to describe it. Pieces of body parts everywhere. I just hope we have enough to figure out who they are."  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "They?"  
  
Nick smiled. "Remember, assume nothing. I'd like to think that it's just one person, but you know how this job is."  
  
Catherine smiled. "Yeah." She wrinkled her nose at him. "No offense, Nick, but you smell."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Yeah, I know. I was hoping to get a shower."  
  
Catherine gestured toward the locker room. "By all means, don't let me stop you."  
  
As Nick walked toward the locker room, he glanced back at Catherine. "There aren't any lemons around here are there?"  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Uh, no, I think you're going to have to go to the grocery store for that."  
  
"Crap." He glanced up with a sheepish expression on his face. "A shower's not gonna help much then."  
  
Catherine just chuckled. "Let's just hope shift gets over fast."  
  
Nick just shook his head and went to the locker room to at least change his clothes.  
  
******************************************  
  
Meanwhile about three miles away from the lab, Sara had made herself at home in Nick's house. She was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a Harvard T-shirt eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey Ice Cream with her feet propped up on the coffee table. She was thoroughly engrossed in a marathon of 'The Brady Bunch' on Nik at Nite. As soon as she finished the ice cream she planned go sit in Nick's hot tub.  
  
******************************************  
  
Warrick and Greg glanced up as Nick walked into the DNA lab. They had been talking before Nick walked in, but the conversation stopped abruptly.  
  
Nick raised a curious eyebrow. "Did I interrupt something?"  
  
Warrick just chuckled. "Nick, man, didn't anyone ever tell you about the benefits of showering?"  
  
Nick rolled his eyes. "Funny." He turned his attention to Greg. "I hate to do this to you, man, but I've got thirty-seven separate tissue samples that I need to find out if they're from the same body."  
  
Greg's eyebrows shot up. "Sounds like one hell of a crime scene."  
  
Nick nodded. "Yeah, somebody cut somebody up and dumped them. But not far enough off the highway. The highway crew thought it was road kill at first."  
  
Greg grimaced at the thought.  
  
Warrick glanced at Nick. "Hey, how did you get Sara to take the night off?" His eyebrows were raised curiously.  
  
Nick had a smug expression on his face. "I told her she could use my hot tub and watch my cable."  
  
Greg looked confused. "You don't have a hot tub."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Yeah, I do. I had it installed a few weeks ago. We've all just been working so much I haven't had time to invite anyone over to use it."  
  
Warrick stood up and patted Nick on the back. "Whatever works. She was about ready to blow a gasket." Warrick started to chuckle.  
  
Nick and Greg looked at him curiously. Nick queried him. "What?"  
  
Warrick continued. "Of course, you might never get her out of your house now. That might put a cramp in your style while you're trying to put the swerve on the ladies."  
  
Nick just shook his head and chuckled. He looked over at Greg and his expression became a bit more serious. "Page me when you get those results, Greg."  
  
"Alright, Nick my man. I'm putting you at the front of the line. You saved us all from Hurricane Sara." Greg was literally smiling.  
  
Nick just rolled his eyes and left the DNA lab. He just didn't understand why everyone else was having such a hard time with Sara. Even when she was sleep deprived, he had no problem communicating with her.  
  
Greg and Warrick watched Nick head down the hall. When he was safely out of earshot, Greg glanced over at Warrick. "Ok, I think we should go double or nothing."  
  
Warrick chuckled. "You're on."  
  
********************************************  
  
Sara had polished off the Chunky Monkey ice cream and was considering whether or not she was still hungry when she decided she might as well try out the hot tub. She went into the bathroom and changed into her suit, pulling a large towel out of the linen closet before heading out to the hot tub on Nick's back deck. She pulled the cover off of it and turned on the jets. As she eased herself into the hot water, she glanced up at the stars and for the first time in months she felt like she was truly relaxing.  
  
After about a half an hour she decided that a glass of wine sounded good. She climbed out of the hot tub, turned off the jets and replaced the cover. Wrapping the towel around her bikini-clad body, she headed back into Nick's house. She pulled a wine glass out of the cupboard and found an open bottle of wine in Nick's fridge. She poured some into the glass and made her way back into the living room and settled herself on the couch to watch a little more TV as she sipped her wine.  
  
A short time later, Sara fell asleep curled up on the couch, while 'The Brady Bunch' marathon continued. 


	3. Lemons, Beer, and Pizza

Nick was stiff, sore, tired, and he smelled of decomposing flesh. On the way home after shift, he stopped by the grocery store for some lemons to get the smell off of his body. The cashier looked at him oddly as she rung up his purchase. As he pulled into his driveway he noted that Sara's Tahoe was still there and Nick hoped that she had taken full advantage of his offer. She had looked exhausted and he had hoped that the hot tub would allow her to relax enough that she could fall asleep.  
  
As he walked into the house he grinned as he noticed her fast asleep on the couch, with a towel wrapped around her over her swimsuit. The TV was still on. He picked up the remote and clicked it off. Nick didn't want to disturb her, but with the air conditioning on he thought she would eventually get cold. He walked over and pulled a blanket out of the closet and gently placed it over Sara as she continued to sleep.  
  
Nick walked into the kitchen and cut several of the lemons in half before he made his way into the bathroom to take a shower. An amused grin crossed his face as he noticed Sara's clothes neatly folded and stacked on the toilet. He picked up the pile to set it on the counter and as he did, Sara's underwear, which she had tucked into her folded T-shirt, fell to the floor. He chuckled as he thought about how embarrassed Sara would be if she knew he was looking at her underwear, let alone touching it. He raised his eyebrows as he picked up the lacy undergarments. Hmm. There was a lot more to Sara Sidle than he had ever imagined. He would never have guessed she wore such sexy underwear.  
  
He neatly tucked her underwear back into the fold of her T-shirt and then disrobed and climbed into the shower to scour himself with lemons under the stream of water in an attempt to rid himself of the stench that pervaded his pores.  
  
Satisfied that he'd gotten the odor off of himself, he turned off the water and climbed out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. He chuckled to himself as he realized that he had brought no change of clothes with him into the bathroom. Usually he wouldn't have a reason to since he lived alone. He hoped that Sara was still asleep as he exited the bathroom and made his way across the hall to his bedroom for some fresh clothes.  
  
He emerged a few minutes later clad in a pair of shorts and an LVPD T- shirt. It appeared that Sara was still asleep. Nick chuckled softly as he noticed that she'd pulled the blanket around herself more tightly. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge trying to decide what sounded good to eat. As he did, he heard Sara stir in the other room.  
  
"That you, Nicky?" A sleepy sounding Sara sat up on the couch.  
  
"Yeah, I didn't mean to wake you up, you seemed to be sleeping so well." He walked into the living room and smiled at her.  
  
Sara glanced down and noticed the blanket. She smiled and then looked up at him fingering the blanket. "You do this?"  
  
He nodded. "I thought with the AC on you might get cold."  
  
Sara glanced down at the towel she was wrapped in and then realized she still had her swimsuit on. She looked back at him. "I guess I sort of fell asleep." She let out a yawn.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Looks like you're still tired."  
  
Sara was about to deny it, but then she sank back into the couch instead and closed her eyes. "Yeah, I'm not sure I can move."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Well, you're sure as hell not going to drive if you're that tired."  
  
"Your couch is really comfy." Her eyes fluttered open. "Thanks for letting me use your hot tub by the way. Oh, and you're out of Chunky Monkey ice cream." A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.  
  
Nick had an amused expression on his face. "You ate my Chunky Monkey ice cream?"  
  
She chuckled. "You said to make myself at home."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Well I suppose since you ate all of my favorite ice cream that you're not hungry."  
  
An amused expression crossed Sara's face. "You obviously don't know me very well, Stokes."  
  
He grinned. "Well enough. Pizza or omelets?"  
  
"They're both loaded with saturated fat." Sara quipped.  
  
Nick chuckled. "And your point is?"  
  
Sara chuckled. "Pizza."  
  
"Alright then. One meat lover's pizza coming up." Nick grinned in spite of himself.  
  
Sara just shook her head and rolled her eyes.  
  
Nick picked up the phone and ordered a large vegetarian pizza with extra cheese. One nice thing about living in Vegas was that you could get just about any kind of food delivered twenty-four hours a day.  
  
Sara yawned again and pulled herself up off the couch, keeping the towel firmly around her body. She turned toward Nick who was just hanging up the phone. "I'm gonna go put my other clothes back on."  
  
"Ok." He smiled at her and plopped himself down on the couch with a bottle of beer that he'd pulled out of the fridge.  
  
Sara emerged from the bathroom wearing her jeans and T-shirt a few minutes later. She raised a quizzical eyebrow at Nick. "Tough shift?"  
  
He glanced over at her as she sat on the couch next to him. "Why do you ask?"  
  
A soft smile spread across her face. "Lemons."  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, it was ugly. Highway cleanup crew thought it was a bunch of road kill at first."  
  
"Oh." Sara could just imagine. They'd seen a lot of really ugly things, liquid man for one.  
  
"Hey, do you want a beer?" Nick asked as he took another sip from his.  
  
Sara nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."  
  
Nick got up and walked into the kitchen to pull another beer out of the fridge. "Pizza should be here pretty soon." He sat down next to her and handed her the beer."  
  
"Thanks." She took a sip and then lay her head back against the couch .  
  
"You know, I have a guest room you can sleep in." Nick offered.  
  
Sara glanced at him. "I'm too tired to argue, so thanks."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Are you sure you're going to be awake enough to eat pizza?"  
  
Sara noticed the teasing expression on his face. "Nothing gets between me and my pizza, Stokes." She chuckled.  
  
The doorbell rang and Nick got up. "Sounds like the pizza is here." Nick paid for the pizza and put the box on the coffee table in front of them. They quickly polished off two-thirds of the pizza before deciding that they were both full.  
  
Nick glanced at Sara as she rested her head against the back of the couch. "Hey, do you want to borrow something to sleep in?"  
  
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah, that would be nice."  
  
Nick got up from the couch and returned a few minutes later with a T-shirt and a pair of drawstring sweat pants. He chuckled as he looked at Sara melting into the couch.  
  
She opened one eye and started to chuckle.  
  
He offered her his hand. "Here, let me help you up." She reached up and took his hand and allowed him to help her up. He handed her the clothes and propelled her down the hall with his hands on her shoulders. "Ok, Princess Sleepy, here you go." He stopped at the door to his guest room.  
  
Sara turned toward him and chuckled softly. "Thanks, Nick."  
  
Nick smiled and kissed her forehead. "Get some sleep."  
  
Sara closed the door behind her and quickly changed into the clothes Nick had given her, not bothering to fold hers. Instead leaving them in a heap on the floor. She crawled under the covers and was asleep almost as soon her head hit the pillow.  
  
Nick put the rest of the pizza in the fridge and threw the beer bottles into his recycle bin. He shut the lights off and made his way to his bedroom, stripping down to his boxers and crawling under the covers. He fell asleep almost immediately, a faint scent of lemons still clinging to his skin. 


	4. Yet?

Nick groaned as he woke up. There was something about that lazy feeling of wanting to just roll over and go back to sleep that was just stronger when you knew you had to get up and go to work. For some reason Nick was just not looking forward to shift tonight. Maybe it was the case he'd had the night before. It had just illustrated how sick and twisted people could be. It was times like that that he questioned why he did what he did, but then when they caught someone and put them behind bars, it made it all worth it.  
  
He rolled himself out of bed and wandered out into the kitchen to make himself some coffee. The door to the guest room was still closed, and Nick hoped that Sara was still sleeping. In fact he had no plans to wake her up. Shift had been so pleasant for everyone else last night without Sara there, that Catherine had suggested he try and convince Sara to take another night off, even if the rest of them had to double up. He wasn't sure he could convince her, but he certainly wasn't going to wake her up either.  
  
He didn't have to. The aroma of coffee in the air drew Sara out of her slumber. She wandered into the kitchen and Nick was slightly embarrassed as he realize he only wore his boxers. Sara seemed too tired to notice. She looked rumpled and still completely exhausted as she walked into the kitchen toward the coffee machine, pulling a coffee cup out of the cupboard on her way.  
  
She was about to reach for the pot to pour herself some coffee, when Nick beat her to it. He held the coffee pot, but didn't pour. She looked up at him with a slightly annoyed expression. "Are you going to hold that all day, or are you going to let me have some of that?"  
  
Nick looked contemplative. "I don't know."  
  
Sara let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, I need coffee if I'm going to be awake enough to work tonight."  
  
Nick reached over and took the cup out of her hand. He poured coffee into the cup and then set the pot back into the coffee maker.  
  
Sara reached for the cup, but instead of handing it to her, Nick brought it up to his mouth and took a sip. Sara glared at him.  
  
Nick chuckled. "Why don't you take another night off, Sar?"  
  
There was a hint of a whine in her voice. "Nicky, I've got cases I need to work on."  
  
Nick chuckled again. "Sara, no offense, but you look like hell." She still looked extremely exhausted, and the fact that her hair was all mussed up and she was swimming in the clothes Nick had loaned her to sleep in didn't help.  
  
Sara glared. "Thanks. You sure know how to woo the ladies." She crossed her arms in front of her body.  
  
Nick chuckled and took another sip of the coffee. "I wasn't trying to woo you."  
  
Sara raised a tired eyebrow at him. There was a hint of a smirk on her face. "Oh, and so that's why you're standing there in your underwear teasing me with your bare chest and coffee."  
  
Nick was amused. He didn't think she was awake enough to notice what he was wearing. Apparently he was wrong. "Trust me, you haven't been wooed." He raised an eyebrow and took another sip of his coffee.  
  
Sara rolled her eyes.  
  
Nick chuckled. "Yet."  
  
Her eyebrows shot up, but she didn't say anything. Instead a perplexed expression crossed her face.  
  
Nick chuckled again. "Sara, you need sleep more than you need coffee. There are people from days already filling in since Grissom is gone, and honestly Catherine suggested that I try and convince you to take another night off."  
  
Sara studied him. She was still slightly off kilter from a single word that he'd uttered. Yet. What the hell did he mean by that?  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "You can stay and use my hot tub and cable again if you want to. Although, you're on your own if you want Chunky Monkey ice cream. Someone seems to have eaten all of it." He grinned.  
  
Sara opened her mouth as if to say something, but couldn't quite get the words out.  
  
As Nick continued, he tried to restrain a chuckle. "I'll even grab your extra clothes from your locker if you want."  
  
She just nodded.  
  
Nick finished the last of the coffee in the cup and set it in the sink. "Go back to sleep." He casually slung his arm over her shoulder and propelled her back down the hall to the guest room.  
  
Sara didn't say a word. She glanced at him for a moment with a slightly befuddled expression and then she turned and walked back into the guest bedroom, shut the door behind her, and crawled back into bed. She was asleep again in minutes.  
  
Nick chuckled as he got ready for work. She sure seemed a bit undone by one little word. Yet. He wasn't really sure where that came from, but the thought did make him smile. What would it be like to woo Sara? Hmm. He'd have to think about that. 


	5. Innocent Until Proven Guilty

Nick arrived at the lab a little earlier than he normally did. Greg was already in the break room making coffee.  
  
"Hey, man. Got enough of that to share?" Nick was in a good mood.  
  
Greg grinned. "All depends."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "On what?"  
  
Greg looked around and then whispered conspiratorially. "Is Hurricane Sara here?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Greg, you have nothing to worry about. Sara is asleep as we speak."  
  
Greg raised a curious eyebrow. "And how are you so sure? I'm seriously considering bringing my jock strap out of retirement."  
  
Nick shook his head and chuckled. "When I left my house, she was asleep."  
  
Greg looked a bit perplexed. "She's at your house? Asleep? Sara?"  
  
Nick nodded. "That's what I said." He reached over and grabbed a cup to pour himself some coffee.  
  
Greg cocked his head to one side and crossed his arms in front of himself. "So, does that mean that you're sleeping together?"  
  
Nick took a sip of coffee and chuckled. "Greg, get your mind out of the gutter. She's sleeping in my guest room. When I got home yesterday, she was too tired to drive, so I told her to stay. She didn't look much better when I got up, so I told her to go back to sleep. It's completely innocent."  
  
"What's completely innocent?" Warrick queried with a raised eyebrow as he sauntered into the break room.  
  
"Sara's sleeping at Nick's." Greg replied with a suspicious grin.  
  
Nick chuckled. "She's sleeping in my guest room. You know, Sanders, you sure are one for leaving out important details."  
  
"Uh, huh." Warrick chuckled suspiciously. "She's sleeping? So that means she's not coming in again?"  
  
Nick nodded. "Catherine asked me to try and get her to take another night off."  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow. "And Sara listened to you?"  
  
Nick nodded. He didn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't like Sara was an unreasonable person. Why everyone else thought it was so hard to communicate with her was beyond him.  
  
Catherine walked in and glanced around the room. She raised a curious eyebrow at Nick. "Well?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "She's not coming in."  
  
In as slightly dramatic voice, Greg interjected. "She's asleep at Nick's."  
  
Nick rolled his eyes and looked at Catherine. "Guest room."  
  
"Whatever works." Catherine shifted their attention back to work now that shift was about to begin.  
  
***************************************  
  
Greg was working on Nick's DNA samples when Warrick walked in. He glanced up and smiled conspiratorially. "Any chance you'd be interested in doubling the bet?"  
  
Warrick chuckled. "This is too easy. Yeah, you're on."  
  
**************************************  
  
Sara woke feeling a bit disoriented. It took her a minute to remember exactly where she was. When she did, she relaxed and snuggled further into the pillow. She never seemed to sleep this well at her own apartment. She just lay there relishing in feeling lazy. She hadn't done that in a long time. Too much time being still meant too much time to think.  
  
Maybe that's why she hadn't been able to sleep, that and copious amounts of coffee. She had been working herself so hard that she hadn't allowed herself to have a life outside of work. And to be honest, part of that was due to Grissom. A lot had changed in the Grissom realm over the past month. First with him turning her dinner invitation down and then the revelation after he'd been gone for over a week that he'd had surgery for a hearing loss that none of them even noticed. She had plunged herself into work and had taken her frustration out on everyone. Frustration not even over Grissom, but more with herself for not realizing that the real reason that she wanted him was that he was unattainable. If she kept him in her sights she couldn't be hurt by anyone else, couldn't let anyone else get close. Grissom was safe, even if he hurt her, because it was something that would never turn in to anything other than what it was. It was the reality of a real relationship with someone that scared the hell out of her.  
  
She fingered the blanket she lay under and let her mind wander. Yet. What in the hell did Nick mean by that? Did he plan on pursuing her? Was he just giving her a hard time? She wasn't really sure and that scared her. But then here she was sleeping in his clothes, in his guest room, with the run of his house all night while he and everyone else was working. She rolled over on her side and turned the bedside light on. She curled up in a ball and just studied the wall. She smiled as she noted the array of pictures. She guessed they must be of Nick's family. One picture in particular made her smile. It looked like Nick's baby picture. She pulled herself out of bed and walked over to the picture. She studied each one, wondering about Nick as a child and how he had become the person he was today.  
  
She glanced at the clock. Damn, she'd been asleep far longer than she had thought. An idea formed in her mind and she quickly changed back into her T-shirt and jeans, heading towards the front door and her Tahoe.  
  
**************************************  
  
Nick was glad shift was over. All he wanted to do was go home and sit in his hot tub and then watch TV. It had been another difficult shift. At least this time he wasn't called out to pick up decomposing body parts, but he was stilled drained.  
  
As he pulled into his driveway, he was pleased to see Sara's Tahoe still in the driveway. As he got out of the SUV, he grabbed the bag of clothes that he'd gotten out of her locker. Walking through the front door, he smelled something cooking. He raised a curious eyebrow and noticed Sara sitting on the couch, eating a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream.  
  
He set her bag down and walked over to the couch, raising a single eyebrow. "Is that what I think it is?"  
  
Sara looked up at him and laughed.  
  
He had a wistful expression on his face.  
  
She put another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth and just grinned.  
  
He crossed his arms in front of himself and chuckled, still looking wistful.  
  
Sara turned back to the TV and pretended not to notice that he was watching her eat and dipped the spoon into the ice cream for another bite.  
  
Nick sat down on the couch next to her and studied her as she ate, trying to restrain a smile.  
  
Sara continued trying to ignore him.  
  
Nick scooted closer, raising an eyebrow as he watched her dip the spoon in for another bite.  
  
Sara glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and tried to restrain a chuckle. "You don't want some of this do you?" She had a teasing expression on her face. As she dipped the spoon in for another bite of ice cream she waved the spoon in front of Nick's face, pulling it away at the last minute as he tried to bite it.  
  
Nick raised both eyebrows at her and leaned closer.  
  
Sara giggled as she put yet another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.  
  
Nick made a move to grab the pint of ice cream.  
  
Sara raised it above her head at the last minute, but immediately regretted it because Nick started to tickle her. As Sara squirmed to get away from him, she rolled off the couch onto the floor, dropping the pint of ice cream on the couch in the process and landing on her stomach.  
  
Nick quickly grabbed the ice cream and sat down on Sara's butt to pin her to the floor. He chuckled as he stretched his legs out in front of him, dodging Sara's attempts to swat at him as he finished off the ice cream. "That was really good." Nick grinned.  
  
Sara chuckled even as she continued to try and swat him. "You know, I did buy more than one pint."  
  
Nick chuckled. "You could have just said something."  
  
She raised a mischievous eyebrow. "What? And miss out on taunting you?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "Sara Sidle, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were hitting on me."  
  
Sara rolled her eyes. "I am hitting you but I'd say you were sitting on me."  
  
Nick chuckled and got up, offering her a hand to help her.  
  
She wore a lopsided grin. "You know, I think my butt's asleep."  
  
A buzzer went off in the kitchen. Nick looked at Sara curiously.  
  
She smiled. "I made a quiche." She walked toward the kitchen holding one of her butt cheeks as she waited for the feeling to return.  
  
Nick tried to restrain a grin. "I didn't know you could cook."  
  
She glanced over at him and chuckled. "There's a lot about me you don't know, Nick Stokes."  
  
Nick crossed his arms in front of his body and studied her curiously. There was a hell of a lot about her he'd like to know. 


	6. Hot Tub and Quiche

"How's your butt?" Nick put another bite of quiche into his mouth and looked at Sara curiously.  
  
Sara's eyebrows shot up. "Do you start all your conversations like this?" A bit of color infused her cheeks.  
  
Nick smiled. "You said your butt was asleep earlier. I just thought I'd check and see how it was doing. You know since I was the one who was sitting on it."  
  
Sara had a wide embarrassed grin on her face. "Uh, fine thanks." She quickly put another forkful of quiche in her mouth.  
  
Nick looked amused at Sara's discomfort. He thought about continuing to tease her, but his cell phone rang. He reached down and pulled the phone off of his belt to answer it. "Stokes."  
  
Sara studied him as he turned his attention to the phone.  
  
"Hey, man. Yeah, I'm just eating. I don't see why not." He glanced up at Sara. "Yeah, she's still here. Ok. Yeah. Uh huh. Later." He hung up the phone and smiled at Sara before putting another forkful of quiche into his mouth. "Warrick's coming over to go hot tubbing, wanna stick around for a while?"  
  
Sara put another forkful of quiche into her mouth and raised her eyebrows. "Uh, yeah."  
  
They finished eating and took the dishes into the kitchen to wash. Sara leaned against the counter as Nick washed the dishes and they chatted about nothing in particular. As Nick was rinsing the dishes with the handheld sprayer he got a mischievous glint in his eye and turned it on Sara.  
  
The look of shock on her face was priceless and she reached for the sprayer which was still firmly in Nick's hands trying to wrestle it away from him. She succeeded only in getting even wetter. The more Sara grabbed for it, the wetter she and the kitchen floor got and the more amused Nick became. Sara finally grabbed hold of Nick's hand as he held the sprayer over his head away from Sara, but in the process, Nick pinned her between himself and the sink. The sensation of their bodies pressed against each other caused them to stop for a moment and their eyes locked. The moisture from Sara's clothes began to seep into Nick's. They both stood there breathing heavily as they looked at each other. Nick lowered his hand that held the sprayer and with his other hand, he reached up and tucked a wet curl behind Sara's ear. His fingers trailed along her cheek as he looked into her eyes.  
  
There was a knock at the door and Nick glanced over. At the same time, Sara grabbed the sprayer and douse Nick with it before he could move.  
  
Nick's jaw dropped and then the pair dissolved into laughter as he made his way over to the door to answer it.  
  
Warrick stood there in his swim trunks and a T-shirt holding a towel and took in Nick's wet appearance, raising a curious eyebrow. "Uh, Nick, usually you put swim trunks on when you get in the hot tub."  
  
"C'mon in, man. We were just doing dishes." Nick continued laughing.  
  
Warrick started laughing when he saw how wet Sara was.  
  
Sara just raised an eyebrow and glanced at Nick. "Somebody decided to start a water fight."  
  
Warrick was amused. He wished he could have been a fly on that wall.  
  
Nick feigned innocence. "Hey, all I did was spray you once. I wasn't the one who was trying to wrestle it away from me. I mean, can I help it if you got wet in the process?"  
  
Sara tried not to laugh as she attempted a glare.  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow. "So do you guys want to sit in the hot tub, or did you just want to keep the water inside?"  
  
Sara started to laugh again. "Nick, if you get me a couple of towels, I'll clean this up before the floor becomes a slip and slide."  
  
Nick nodded at her and then glanced at Warrick as he headed to the linen closet for the towels. "I'm just gonna go change. Looks like you're ready to go."  
  
Sara went and grabbed the towels from Nick and began to mop up the kitchen floor. Nick disappeared into his bedroom to change, and Warrick went outside to take the cover off of the hot tub and turn the jets on.  
  
Nick emerged from his bedroom a few minutes later clad in his swimming trunks. He glanced at Sara as she stood in the kitchen making sure she'd gotten all the water off of the floor and noticed that she still wore her jeans and T-shirt which were both pretty wet. "You gonna come out and join us, Sar?"  
  
She glanced up at him. "Yeah, I just need to change."  
  
Nick smiled at her and was about to turn toward the back door when Sara unbutton the top button on her jeans. Nick's eyebrows shot up. "Uh, Sara?"  
  
She glanced up at him as she unzipped and lowered her jeans before stepping out of them. "Yeah, Nick?"  
  
Nick had a deer in the headlights expression on his face.  
  
Sara cocked her head curiously and then a bemused grin spread across her face. She took a few steps toward him so they stood just inches apart and took hold of the hem of her T-shirt, pulling it over her head. She glanced up at Nick and smiled seductively. "It's my swimsuit." She trailed her fingers across his abdomen before she leaned over and picked up her jeans from the floor, and went to retrieve a towel from the bathroom.  
  
Nick stood there for a few moments trying to get his heart rate under control. When Sara had begun to take her jeans and T-shirt off, images of her underwear that he'd seen in the bathroom the previous day were running through his head. To say he was turned on was putting it mildly. When he finally went outside to the hot tub, Sara and Warrick were already sitting in it chatting amiably. He lowered himself into the water and closed his eyes trying to relax. A splash of water broke him from his reverie.  
  
A grinning Sara observed him from across the hot tub. Nick raised an eyebrow. "Was that you, Sidle?"  
  
Sara giggled and glanced over at Warrick who looked amused. "I swear it was Warrick."  
  
Nick glanced over at his friend who was just shaking his head, trying not to laugh. Nick glanced back at Sara. "You're a terrible liar, Sara." He splashed her back and tried to restrain a grin.  
  
Warrick pulled himself out of the hot tub. "I'll be right back, I need to make a quick phone call." He grabbed his towel and went back inside.  
  
Nick edged closer to Sara with one eyebrow raised. "Better not mess with Texas, Sidle."  
  
"I swear it was Warrick." Her giggles gave her away.  
  
Nick lunged for her across the hot tub as she tried to scoot away, but he caught her around her waist and ended up pulling her against him as he sat down. The sensation of flesh on flesh caused them both to freeze. Sara's hands were splayed out over Nick's chest and his arms encircled her waist. Their faces were inches apart. Breathing heavily they studied each others faces, licking their lips nervously. They leaned closer to each other, lips almost touching. Sara's eyes fluttered shut.  
  
The back door opened and Nick and Sara jumped apart as Warrick rejoined them. Warrick noted the flushed appearance of Nick and Sara's faces but said nothing. He chuckled to himself. Boy was this bet with Sanders going to be interesting. 


	7. Four CSIs and a Lab Tech

Greg was working on the last of Nick's thirty-seven samples when Warrick sauntered in looking very smug. Greg glanced up and raised a curious eyebrow. "You're looking a little too happy."  
  
Warrick grinned. "Since I'm pretty sure I'll be collecting on this bet pretty soon, I have a very good reason to be happy."  
  
Greg stopped what he was doing and looked at Warrick. "You have new information."  
  
Warrick whispered conspiratorially. "I went hot tubbing with Nick and Sara after shift."  
  
Greg wrinkled his brow. "And?"  
  
"Nothing yet, but it's just a matter of time before she makes a move." Warrick looked sure of himself.  
  
Greg just shook his head and smiled. "I have faith in my man Nick. He's gonna make the first move."  
  
Warrick chuckled. "Well at least we agree on one thing. It's only a matter of time before one of them does something."  
  
***********************************************  
  
Nick was tired. He had fully intended to go to sleep fairly early so he'd be well rested by the next shift. However, he was distracted by Sara. He had come so close to kissing her twice and by the time both she and Warrick had left, he couldn't sleep. He had just lain awake staring at the ceiling thinking about her. He wondered if she had any idea what she had done to him when she'd pulled her jeans and T-shirt off in front of him to reveal her swimsuit. He was sure that in her mind it was ok since she knew she had her swim suit on. In his mind though, she might as well of had nothing on for what it did to him.  
  
He needed coffee and he needed it soon. He made his way into the break room and nodded towards Warrick who was seated at the table already drinking a cup of coffee.  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow slightly. "Nick, you look terrible."  
  
Nick glanced over and yawned. "Thanks."  
  
"Didn't you get any sleep?" Warrick knew that Sara had left when he did.  
  
Nick rolled his neck to try and work out some of the tension. "Not really. I guess this case is just on my mind."  
  
Warrick didn't really believe him, but he didn't let on. "I think Sanders is almost done with your samples. I had to check on something else down there earlier."  
  
Nick poured himself some coffee and leaned against the counter, taking a sip.  
  
Catherine walked in and took in Nick's appearance. "Nick, you look like hell."  
  
Nick glanced at her and yawned. "Thanks, Catherine. I didn't get a lot of sleep."  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow curiously. "Is Sara still staying at your house?"  
  
A hint of color rushed into Nick's cheeks. He shook his head. "No, she went home. In fact I think she was planning on coming in tonight."  
  
Catherine noticed the change in the color of Nick's complexion, but didn't comment on it. "Ok, she can help you with your case." Catherine poured herself a cup of coffee and joined Warrick at the table.  
  
Sara walked in a few moments later looking very cheerful. "Hey, guys. How's everyone doing?" She walked over to get herself a cup of coffee and noticed how tired Nick looked. "Didn't you get any sleep?" She looked somewhat amused.  
  
Nick shook his head and took another sip of his coffee. "Not really."  
  
A faint grin spread across Sara's face. "Sounds like somebody needs to turn in a little earlier."  
  
Nick raised an amused eyebrow as he glanced over at Warrick and then back to Sara. "Well, I seem to recall having company for a while."  
  
Sara smiled. "Warrick and I both left around 10:00." She glanced at his cup of coffee, an amused smile etched on her face. "Maybe you should cut down on the coffee." She grinned at him as she whispered loudly. "Seems to have worked for me."  
  
Nick rolled his eyes slightly.  
  
Catherine glanced over at Warrick amused. She cleared her throat. "Sara, glad to see you're in a better mood than the last time I saw you."  
  
Sara just leaned against the counter and smiled. "Bring on the death and destruction; I'm ready for a crime scene." She took a sip from her coffee.  
  
"Good, you're helping Nick with his case. The Sheriff would like to see a little progress on this since some of the details hit the paper. I think Greg is almost done with the samples so he should have something for you soon." Catherine turned toward Warrick. "You have a DB in the access area behind the Bellagio. I have to go meet Vega on something and then I'll join you. I've already given the day shifters that are filling in their assignments."  
  
With that, the crew went off to their respective assignments. Nick and Sara headed down to the DNA lab to see if Greg was done processing the samples.  
  
Greg looked up as they entered. "I was just going to page you."  
  
Nick looked at Greg curiously. "And?"  
  
"You know how I like to make a presentation." Greg smiled.  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow. "Greg."  
  
Greg's eyebrows shot up and he back away slightly. "Uh, you did get some sleep didn't you?"  
  
Nick couldn't help but laugh.  
  
Sara looked over at him and shot him a bemused grin.  
  
"Don't worry, Greg, Hurricane Sara here got some sleep." Nick dodged Sara's hand as she turned to swat him. He raised his eyebrows. "Hey, I'm not the one who came up with the name, besides I kind of like Princess Sleepy better." He dodged another attempt that Sara made to swat him.  
  
A bit of color infused Sara's cheeks and she turned her attention back to Greg. "Yes, I got some sleep. What are the results?"  
  
Nick tried to restrain a laugh as Greg continued. Sara occasionally glanced back at him and tried to swat at him.  
  
Greg looked slightly amused at the antics between Nick and Sara. "Well, I processed each and every one of your thirty-seven samples. Human, which you knew. I then compared the DNA profiles against each one. No easy task. Anyway, you have twenty-five distinct profiles in your samples. From those that match, maybe two or three are a match to each other."  
  
Nick and Sara looked at Greg with disbelief. Nick managed to stutter out. "You've got to be kidding."  
  
"DNA doesn't lie." Greg concluded seriously.  
  
Sara cursed under her breath.  
  
Nick glanced at her. "Yeah, me too." He looked over at Greg. "Thanks, Sanders. I need to go call Brass."  
  
"I'll meet you in the layout room." Sara called after Nick who had rushed out of the lab. She turned toward Greg who had a look of apprehension on her face. "Hey, Greggo, I'm sorry for treating you the way I treated you the other day. I was a little sleep deprived and I don't think I was a very nice person."  
  
Greg had a hint of a smile on his face. "No offense, Sara, you were more than a little sleep deprived. But apology accepted."  
  
"Gotta go catch up with Nick." Sara turned and walked out of the lab with a smile on her face.  
  
Greg had a smug look on his face. He was pretty sure he was going to win the bet he had going with Warrick.  
  
Nick and Sara took over one of the layout rooms and tried to piece together possible scenarios while they waited to see if CODIS offered them any clues as to the identity of the DNA donors. A few hours later, they got a couple of hits and they passed the information onto Brass.  
  
A short time later, Nick's cell phone rang. "Stokes." A myriad of expression crossed his face. "You've got to be kidding. Ok. Yeah, Sara and I will meet you there." He glanced over at her as he hung up. "Brass says that the people CODIS spit out are alive and well, they just happen to be missing a leg or an arm."  
  
Sara looked flummoxed. "Amputees?"  
  
"Apparently so. Looks like maybe someone was disposing of medical waste inappropriately. We're meeting Brass over at the Veteran's Hospital." He got up and headed toward the parking lot to his Tahoe with Sara. She grinned as she walked beside him to the SUV. There was just something about Nick Stokes that she was finding increasingly irresistible. 


	8. Chunky Monkey and Princess Sleepy

It was nice to wrap up a case so gruesome, so quickly. Rather than report that the incinerator at the Veteran's Hospital had broken down, the operator instead took to dumping the waste out in the desert off of I-15. He didn't count on any of it being found. He was now facing a variety of charges and Nick and Sara were working on the paperwork so they could both leave. Nick was looking forward to sitting in his hot tub for a little while before he went to bed. He glanced up and looked at Sara who sat across from him. As he saw her look up, he averted his gaze.  
  
Sara grinned. She knew he was watching her and it made him just that much more irresistible to her.  
  
Nick reached up and started rubbing his neck. He'd had a twinge in it since he'd woken up that afternoon before coming into work. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes as he hit a particularly sore spot.  
  
Sara looked at him quizzically. "Did you do something to your neck?"  
  
He opened his eyes and looked over at her, a smile forming on his lips. "Yeah, I think I must have tweaked my neck while I was trying to sleep."  
  
Sara smiled. "You should sit in your hot tub, it might help."  
  
He nodded gingerly. "Yeah, I was planning on that, but I'm not sure it's going to help."  
  
"Uh, I, uh." Sara continued somewhat cautiously. "I could massage your neck. I mean, if you think it would help. I mean if you wouldn't mind some company."  
  
Nick smiled in spite of himself. "Yeah, that'd be nice. I think I might still have some Chunky Monkey, that is unless Princess Sleepy didn't eat it all."  
  
Sara giggled. "Well finish up your paperwork, Mr. Chunky Monkey."  
  
Nick laughed. "Yes, ma'am."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow. "I don't see you working there." She pointed across the table with her pen, a smug grin etched on her face.  
  
Nick turned back to his paperwork, trying to hold in his laughter and counting the seconds until they could leave.  
  
**********************************  
  
Greg found Warrick in the locker room. "I have a feeling my man Nick is going to be putting the swerve on Sara."  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"  
  
Greg chuckled. "I happen to know that Sara is going over to Nick's as we speak."  
  
"So, she's making her move then." Warrick grinned.  
  
"My money's on Nick." Greg said smugly.  
  
"Wanna double it again?" Warrick challenged.  
  
"You're on." Greg grinned.  
  
*************************************  
  
Sara stopped by her apartment to pick up her swimsuit before meeting Nick at his house.  
  
He grinned at her as he opened the door, pint of Chunky Monkey in hand, clad in his swim trunks and a T-shirt.  
  
She walked in and grabbed for the ice cream as she passed by Nick.  
  
He just laughed and held the ice cream above his head. "You forget what happened the last time. I believe your butt fell asleep."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow and the edges of her mouth curled up in a smile. "I'm just going to go change into my swimsuit."  
  
Nick just grinned as he put another spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. "I'll be here, eating ice cream."  
  
"Ok, Chunky Monkey." Sara giggled as she disappeared into the bathroom to change. She emerged a few minutes later clad in her bikini with a towel wrapped around her waist.  
  
Nick tried not to stare as he put another spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.  
  
Sara walked over to him with a teasing expression. "Did you save me any?"  
  
A sheepish expression crossed his face as he scooped out the last of the ice cream onto the spoon and put it into his mouth.  
  
She raised an eyebrow.  
  
Nick chuckled. "There's more in the freezer. Do you want some now, or do you want to go sit in the hot tub?"  
  
"Hot tub." Sara responded.  
  
Nick put the empty ice cream container in the trash and followed Sara out to the deck. They pulled the cover off the hot tub and turned on the jets. Nick pulled off his T-shirt and climbed in.  
  
Sara pulled the towel off and slid into the water. She glanced over at Nick. "How's your neck?"  
  
Nick reached up and rubbed it. "Sore."  
  
Sara scooted over next to him. "Here, let me massage it." She began massaging his neck and shoulders; sitting up on her knees behind him. "Wow, you're really tense." Nick's muscles seemed to get even tighter as Sara continued to massage his neck and shoulders.  
  
"Sara." Nick decided that maybe this wasn't such a good idea.  
  
She kept massaging. "You might need to go see a massage therapist; I've never seen someone so tense."  
  
Nick closed his eyes and tried not to groan. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He turned toward Sara, but ended up knocking her off balance and right onto his lap.  
  
Sara let out a little yelp as she ended up straddling Nick's lap, her hands splayed out on his chest.  
  
An embarrassed expression crossed Nick's face as he closed his eyes.  
  
A slightly shocked, but amused expression crossed Sara's face. "Oh, that's why you're so tense."  
  
"Uh, yeah." Nick opened his eyes and looked up at Sara who was smiling.  
  
They weren't sure who moved first, but when their lips met, they felt like they'd been jolted with electricity. Lips quickly parted and tongues began exploring as hands began to roam. The need for air finally drove them apart.  
  
The sound of a child's voice called out as a football came sailing over Nick's fence. "Sorry, Mr. Stokes!" Sara pulled herself off of Nick's lap to sit next to him as a young boy came through the gate in the fence in search of his football. He waved at Nick who grinned and waved back at him.  
  
It was then that Sara realized that her bikini top was floating nearby in the hot tub. Nick picked up her top and looked over at her as the boy went back through the gate. "I think you're missing something." He waggled his eyebrows at her.  
  
With an embarrassed smile she grabbed for it. "Someone's sneaky."  
  
Nick pulled it away grinning.  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Nick."  
  
He chuckled and put it on top of his head waggling his eyebrows at her.  
  
She shook her head trying to restrain a smile. "Do you want to go inside?"  
  
"I'm having fun here." He grinned at her.  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him. "So, you'd rather give the neighbors a live porn show then?"  
  
Nick swallowed hard. "Inside is good."  
  
She tilted her head to one side. "Can I have my top then?"  
  
He handed it to her and grinned as she put it back on and climbed out of the hot tub and wrapped a towel around her waist. He climbed out after her and they headed back into the house. Nick quickly pulled Sara into a passion infused kiss, their hands roaming once again.  
  
A knock sounded at the door. They broke apart breathing heavily. Nick looked Sara in the eye, "I'll be right back." He started to walk toward the door, but glanced over his shoulder grinning. "You might want to check your top again."  
  
Sara had an embarrassed grin as she reached behind her back and refastened her top.  
  
Greg and Warrick stood at the door. Warrick had an easygoing smile on his face. "Hey, we thought we'd drop by and see how that hot tub was working out. That is unless you're busy." 


	9. Woo

Sara was working at wrapping up a case in one of the layout rooms when Nick walked in. As she glanced up at him, color immediately infused her cheeks.  
  
He stopped next to her and leaned over, resting his elbows on the table. "Hi." A grin was etched onto his face.  
  
A restrained smile spread across her face. "Hi." She looked back down at the file and was unable to focus due to Nick's proximity.  
  
"How's the case going?" Nick queried, abundantly aware of what his presence was doing to her.  
  
She glanced up at him again and raised an eyebrow. "Almost wrapped up." She tried to turn her attention back to the file.  
  
Nick watched her silently for a few moments.  
  
Sara looked up and laughed nervously. "What?"  
  
Nick raised his eyebrows innocently. "Oh, nothing."  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow. "Nick, you're distracting me. I need to get this done. Go find Warrick or Greg and see what they're doing."  
  
Nick had a teasing smile on his face. "I'm distracting you, huh?"  
  
Sara closed her eyes and shook her head and giggled. "Yes, you're distracting me."  
  
Nick reached over and poked Sara in the side.  
  
Sara grabbed his hand and both of her eyebrows shot up. The tone in her voice was a bit firmer. "Nick, stop. I need to get this done."  
  
Nick pulled his hand away and stood up straight. "Sorry." His expression was somewhat disappointed.  
  
She reached out and touched his arm. "Hey, I think we need to talk."  
  
Nick furrowed his brow. "That doesn't sound good."  
  
A half smile formed on Sara's face. "Nick, you should know by now in this business to assume nothing. I just think we need to talk about what almost happened before it actually happens that's all."  
  
The corners of his mouth curled up into a smile. "So then you're not opposed to it happening then?"  
  
She giggled and a lopsided smile formed on her face. "No, otherwise when Warrick and Greg showed up they would have found a fresh crime scene. You are a little too sneaky for your own good, Stokes." She turned her attention back to the file.  
  
Nick chuckled.  
  
Sara glanced up and gestured with her pen. "Hey, just remember, the walls around here have ears. I hear that you and I are the object of a bet between our two friends."  
  
Nick nodded. "I heard."  
  
She grinned mischievously. "I think we could have a little fun at their expense if you're up for it."  
  
Nick laughed. "Yeah."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him and gestured toward the door. "Now go. I'm never going to get this done with you standing there, Chunky." She giggled to herself.  
  
Nick shook his head and smiled. "Ok, Princess." With that he turned and walked down the hall toward the break room.  
  
**************************************************  
  
Greg found Warrick working on a file in one of the layout rooms. "So, do you think anything happened before we showed up?"  
  
Warrick glanced up. "Sanders, you need a girlfriend."  
  
"Well, I don't think Sara is available for much longer." Greg had something akin to a pout on his face.  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow. "I doubt anything happened before we showed up, if it had, do you really think Nick would have answered the door? Besides, Sara's a slow mover."  
  
Greg chuckled. "Well, Nick isn't."  
  
**************************************************  
  
After shift, Sara followed Nick to his house so they could talk. As they came to the front door, Nick's cell phone rang. He pulled it off of his belt and answered it. "Stokes."  
  
He glanced at Sara and gave her a knowing look as he opened the front door. "Hey, Warrick." Nick dropped his keys on the counter. "Yeah, I suppose that would be ok." He nodded at Sara who was gesturing at a bottle of beer. "Ok, see you then." He ended the call. "Warrick and Greg are coming over."  
  
Sara looked amused. "Oh, so they're calling this time." She handed him a bottle of beer taking a sip from her own.  
  
Nick took the beer and took a sip. He glanced over at her and waggled his eyebrows. "We could give them something to talk about."  
  
Sara rolled her eyes and blushed. "Uh, like yesterday didn't give them enough. It's a good thing they didn't notice that my top was inside out."  
  
Nick's eyebrows shot up and he started to laugh. "It was?"  
  
Sara crossed her arms in front of herself and just shook her head. "For a CSI you're not very observant."  
  
Nick grinned. "Yes I am. I was just more interested in observing what was under your top."  
  
The color in Sara's face deepened. "Uh, can we change the subject for a minute."  
  
Nick tried to suppress his smile by taking another sip of his beer. "Yeah. What do you want to talk about?"  
  
She tried to restrain the embarrassed grin spreading across her face as she looked at Nick. "I just want to know what this thing is. I mean what is this? Uh, are we having a fling? Or is this something else?" She bit her lower lip as she waited for him to respond.  
  
Nick would have chuckled at the expression on Sara's face if she wasn't so serious. He smiled at her softly. "No fling."  
  
She stopped biting her lip. "What then?" She studied him.  
  
Nick regarded her seriously. "It's obvious we're attracted to each other, Sar. What do you want it to be?"  
  
A vulnerable expression crossed her face. "I, uh."  
  
Nick continued. "Because I'd really like to date you."  
  
"Date?" She stated looking directly at him as if to reaffirm what she had just heard.  
  
Nick nodded. "Unless you don't want to." He studied her.  
  
A soft smile tugged at her lips. "I want to."  
  
Nick walked around the counter into the kitchen where Sara was standing. He put his beer bottle down on the counter and took hers from her hand and put it next to his. He grinned at her as he reached up and cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand, caressing it with his thumb.  
  
Sara's eyes fluttered closed as she felt Nick's warm breath against her face before he softly pressed his lips against hers.  
  
As they broke the kiss, Nick's palm remained on her cheek, he rested his forehead against hers. His voice was a soft whisper. "I'm wooing you, Sara."  
  
A smile spread across Sara's face. Her voice was slightly husky. "Woo away, Nick."  
  
They looked into each others eyes smiling. Nick leaned in and kissed her again a little longer this time. As they broke apart, there was a knock at the door.  
  
Smiles spread across their faces and in unison they whispered. "Warrick and Greg." 


	10. And the Oscar Goes To

Greg and Warrick weren't really surprised to find Sara at Nick's. In fact they expected that she would be. Beyond that, they weren't really sure what they expected besides getting to sit in Nick's hot tub. Warrick was convinced that Sara was going to make a move on Nick and Greg was convinced that Nick was going to make a move on Sara. They had no idea that Nick and Sara were aware of their little bet. That little piece of information had been given to both Nick and Sara separately by Catherine, who seemed entirely amused by the whole situation.  
  
Nick, Sara, Warrick, and Greg were all sitting in the hot tub chatting and laughing. Sara glanced over at Nick and raised a curious eyebrow. "Is there any more Chunky Monkey in the freezer?"  
  
Nick wrinkled his brow. "I'm not sure, how many pints did you buy?"  
  
She giggled. "How many did you eat?"  
  
Nick had a sheepish grin. "I only had two. It's not like you didn't have some yourself."  
  
Greg and Warrick watched the banter curiously.  
  
Sara pulled herself out of the hot tub. "I'm going to go get some. I'm starving." As she stood up and wrapped a towel around the waist of her bikini clad body, she glanced back. "You'd think I was eating for two or something."  
  
Greg and Warrick exchanged a surprised glance.  
  
Nick just leaned back and closed his eyes. He could tell that Greg and Warrick were a little curious.  
  
"Hey, Nick!" Sara yelled from inside the house. "Do you have any pickles?"  
  
"I think so, unless you ate them all." He called back without opening his eyes.  
  
Warrick studied Nick for a moment.  
  
"Where's the peanut butter?" Sara called out again.  
  
"In the cupboard by the fridge." He called back. Nick muttered softly to himself. "I'm gonna have to go shopping, she's gonna eat me into the poor house."  
  
"What was that, man?" Greg asked curiously.  
  
Nick opened his eyes. "Oh, nothing. I'm just running a little low on some of my groceries."  
  
Warrick raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.  
  
As Sara emerged from the house, pint of Chunky Monkey in one hand and a peanut butter and pickle sandwich in the other, she sat down on the deck. She glanced over at Nick and wrinkled her forehead. "Nick, do I look fat?"  
  
Warrick started to chuckle and glanced at Nick. "That's a question no man should answer."  
  
Nick chuckled.  
  
Sara looked over at Warrick. "What do you think, Warrick?"  
  
Warrick didn't say anything.  
  
She looked at Greg who was uncharacteristically silent. "Greg?"  
  
Greg averted his gaze from Sara.  
  
Nick tried to change the subject. "Hey, Sara, did you ever decide if you wanted me to set you up with my buddy Paul?"  
  
With a mouth full of peanut butter and pickle sandwich she shook her head. "Yes, I decided, but no I don't want to go out with him. I'm actually interested in someone else."  
  
Warrick and Greg exchanged a confused glance.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "Anyone I know?"  
  
She waggled her eyebrows as she finished the last of her sandwich. "Maybe." As Sara started to dig into the ice cream, she made a face and quickly set the ice cream down. "Excuse me, I'm not feeling so good." Sara ran into the house holding her hand over her mouth and disappeared presumably into the bathroom.  
  
Warrick and Greg both looked concerned.  
  
Nick glanced over at them as he pulled himself out of the hot tub. "I'm gonna go check on Sara."  
  
They nodded in return. After Nick disappeared into the house, Greg looked at Warrick. "Do you think?"  
  
"That Sara's pregnant?" Warrick finished. "Damn. I didn't even think she was dating anyone."  
  
"Do you think that Nick?" Greg began.  
  
Warrick shook his head. "No, if there had been something like that between them, I know I would have heard about it."  
  
Meanwhile inside the house, Nick knocked on the bathroom door. Sara slowly opened it and Nick joined her inside, sliding his arms around her waist. The pair dissolved into quiet laughter.  
  
Nick smiled at Sara. "Not to sully your reputation, but I'm pretty sure that the two of them are wondering if you're pregnant."  
  
Sara grinned, her hands splayed out on his chest. "Maybe I should move to Hollywood."  
  
Nick chuckled. "No, because then you'd be too far away from me." He leaned down and gently kissed her.  
  
Sara smiled against his lips. "Mmm. I like that."  
  
As they broke apart, Nick raised an eyebrow at her. "You taste like peanut butter and pickles."  
  
She tilted her head and giggled. "What do you think?"  
  
"Not bad." Nick leaned in and kissed her again. As he pulled away he looked into her eyes and grinned. "We should get back, they're going to wonder."  
  
Sara giggled. "Let's see what kind of rumors they start now."  
  
Nick grinned at Sara, raising an amused eyebrow. "Oh, and by the way, there's no way you could ever put fat and Sara in the same sentence. To me you're perfect." His thumbs caressed her waist and he leaned in and kissed her once more before stepping out of the bathroom and heading back outside where Warrick and Greg looked like they were in deep conversation.  
  
Sara emerged a few minutes later to rejoin them. She gave Nick the pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream to finish off. 


	11. Conspiracy

To say that Warrick and Greg were confused was an understatement. They had assumed that Nick and Sara were attracted to each other. Now after what they'd just witnessed neither of them were quite sure anymore. Was Sara pregnant? If Nick was trying to set her up with one of his friends, did that mean he wasn't interested in her? Sara mentioned she was interested in someone else and that Nick may or may not know who it is. What the hell did that mean? Nick and Sara came in a little early the next shift to find Catherine. As the pair stopped in the doorway of Grissom's office they both had wide grins on their faces as Catherine looked up from the desk with an inquisitive expression.  
  
"Hey, Cath, can we talk to you for a minute?" Sara had a devious glint in her eye.  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Yeah, sure."  
  
Nick closed the door and couldn't restrain his laughter as he and Sara relayed what had taken place after shift at his house. It was all Catherine could do to keep a straight face.  
  
"But I'm not really pregnant. I just want to make that clear." Sara concluded with a conspiratorial grin.  
  
Catherine studied Nick and Sara and she raised a single eyebrow at the pair. "Ok, but I have another question. Which one of them won the bet?"  
  
Color infused Sara's cheeks and Nick laughed softly as he tried to restrain a grin. He glanced over at Sara with a raised eyebrow. Sara looked at Catherine with a smug smile. "Neither of them."  
  
Catherine looked a little confused. "Neither of them?"  
  
Nick nodded. "I believe the bet was about whichever one of us made the first move, right?"  
  
Catherine nodded. "Yeah, and you're going to stand there and tell me that you two aren't dating. Give me some credit; I'm a little smarter than that."  
  
Sara chuckled. "Oh, we're not denying that we've been dating." She glanced over at Nick with a curious expression. "What would you say, Nick? For about ten hours?"  
  
Nick grinned. "That sounds about right, Sar."  
  
Catherine chuckled and shook her head for a moment and then looked back up at the pair. "Ok, now back to my question."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "We told you, neither of them won." He glanced over at Sara and grinned.  
  
"Who made the first move?" Catherine queried.  
  
"Uh, what would you say, Nick?" Sara grinned. "Photo finish?"  
  
Nick nodded. "That's a good way to put it."  
  
Catherine just sat back in the chair and laughed. "How long are you going to let them suffer?"  
  
"As long as it takes." Nick replied.  
  
Sara glanced over at Nick with a raised eyebrow. "Nick?"  
  
Nick had a sheepish grin on his face. "Ok, just for a little while."  
  
"Ok." Catherine grinned.  
  
As Nick and Sara headed toward the door, Nick glanced over his shoulder, "Uh, Cath, what are the rules about kissing your coworkers at work?"  
  
Catherine just shook her head and laughed softly to herself as she turned her attention back to the file she was working on. "Just make sure you're both off the clock."  
  
Sara shot Nick an embarrassed glare and swatted at him as they walked out into the hallway. "Nick, I can't believe you asked her that."  
  
As they walked down the hall toward the locker room, he glanced at her. "Have I ever told you that you're cute when you're mad, Princess?" Nick couldn't help but laugh.  
  
They walked into the deserted locker room and Sara crossed her arms in front of herself tilting her head to the side. "Don't be calling me that at work, Chunky." A grin belied her tone.  
  
Nick's eyebrows shot up. "Are you saying I'm fat?"  
  
Sara started to giggle. "Fat and Nick just don't work for me in the same sentence. However, you are my Chunky Monkey." She walked over and stood just inches from Nick, taunting him with a smirk.  
  
Nick grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him, leaning down and planting a soft kiss on her upturned lips.  
  
Sara broke the kiss giggling, her hands splayed out on his chest. She raised an eyebrow, but remained in his embrace. "They're going to find out before the end of shift if you keep that up."  
  
Nick had a slightly pouty grin on his face. "I thought you liked it when I did that."  
  
Sara smiled. "I do, I just thought you wanted to torture them for a while."  
  
Nick grinned. "It's more fun to kiss you." He leaned in and kissed her again.  
  
As they broke apart, Sara grinned. "How about if we continue that after shift."  
  
Nick laughed. "Ok." He released her from his embrace and they both went to their respective lockers to stow their gear, sneaking glances at each other now and then. Nick closed his locker and raised a curious eyebrow at Sara. "So do you really like peanut butter and pickle sandwiches?"  
  
Sara laughed. "I like Thai food better, but they're not bad. Surprisingly." Sara closed her locker. "Coffee?"  
  
Nick nodded and they headed to the break room, hoping that Greg had made some of his special Blue Hawaiian blend.  
  
As they entered, Warrick sat at the table sipping a cup of coffee. He glanced in Sara's direction. "Sara, you feeling better?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Probably just had too much ice cream or something." She reached for a cup to pour herself some coffee.  
  
"Here." Nick poured coffee into her cup as he finished pouring himself some.  
  
"Thanks." Sara brought the coffee up to her lips to take a sip.  
  
"Should you be drinking that?" Warrick asked quizzically.  
  
Nick and Sara exchanged a knowing glance. Sara turned toward Warrick. "Why wouldn't I want coffee, especially if it's Greg's?"  
  
Warrick just raised his eyebrow. "Caffeine's not good for you. Haven't you been having problems sleeping?"  
  
Sara set the coffee down on the counter. "I've been sleeping fine, at least the last few nights. Unless there is something wrong with the coffee, I'm going to drink some."  
  
Warrick just raised his hands and then fell silent, picking his coffee back up to take a sip.  
  
Nick and Sara exchanged another knowing glance as they silently sipped their coffee.  
  
Catherine walked in a few minutes later to hand out assignments. 


	12. The Jig Is Up

"So, who's this guy you're interested in, Sara?" Warrick tried to sound casual. Sara chuckled. "When and if there's a need to know, you'll know."  
  
"Do I know him?" Warrick's curiosity was piqued.  
  
Sara smiled. "Maybe."  
  
"So have you gone out with him?" Warrick continued his line of questioning.  
  
Sara raised a single eyebrow. "Topic is closed, War."  
  
They both went back to processing their crime scene. Sara usually really like working with Warrick, but she was pretty sure that Nick had gotten the better end of the deal by getting to work with Catherine tonight. He at least wouldn't be getting interrogated, at least not about who he was interested in. Sara chuckled.  
  
Warrick glanced up. "What's so funny, Sidle?"  
  
Sara glanced over at him. "Why are you all of a sudden so interested in my love life?"  
  
"No reason." Warrick replied turning back to the area he was dusting for prints.  
  
"Uh, huh." Sara's tone obviously implied that she didn't believe him.  
  
"Do you still have a thing for Grissom or something?" Warrick stopped what he was doing and studied her body language for clues.  
  
Sara raised an eyebrow again. "Not that it's any of your business, but no, I do not have a thing for Grissom anymore."  
  
Warrick chuckled softly. "Well then you must have it pretty bad for someone else."  
  
A slightly embarrassed smile spread across her face. "And why do you say that?"  
  
"A hunch." Warrick had a bemused smile on his face.  
  
Sara just shook her head. "I'm done here. Meet you back at the lab?"  
  
Warrick nodded. "Yeah, I'm right behind you."  
  
Sara made her way back to the lab and checked in the evidence before heading to the break room. Unfortunately, the coffee was less than fresh, so she opted for a cup of tea instead. She had just sat down at the table to drink her tea when Nick walked in. A wide grin formed on her face. "Hey, Chunky."  
  
Nick just shook his head and grinned. "And you don't want me calling you Princess."  
  
Sara giggled. "Oh, I'd stay away from the coffee if I were you; I think it's been there a while."  
  
"Thanks for the tip." Nick found a soda in the fridge and sat down at the table with Sara. He smiled as he looked at her. "So, how did your case go?"  
  
"You mean aside from Warrick interrogating me about my love life." Sara looked amused.  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Speaking of your love life, wanna come over after shift?"  
  
Sara took another sip of her tea. "Got any Chunky Monkey?"  
  
Nick laughed. "I think I may need to go to the store first, but I think that can be arranged."  
  
"I need to get my swim suit first. That is, if the invitation includes sitting in the hot tub." Sara waggled her eyebrows at him.  
  
"Are you hitting on me, Sidle?" Nick grinned.  
  
"Yeah, I am." She grinned in return.  
  
"Good." Nick chuckled.  
  
They heard footsteps approaching the break room. As they glanced up, Warrick walked in.  
  
"Hey." Warrick raised a hand in greeting and headed toward the coffee machine.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Sara called out.  
  
Warrick raised a curious eyebrow.  
  
"It's been there a while." Nick explained.  
  
Warrick opened the fridge and pulled out a soda and then joined Nick and Sara at the table. "You guys want to catch breakfast after shift?"  
  
Nick shook his head. "I've got some errands to run. Maybe next time, man."  
  
"And I'm meeting a friend after work. Rain check?" Sara replied.  
  
"Yeah, sure." Warrick replied sipping his soda.  
  
Nick and Sara could tell he wasn't quite buying either of their stories.  
  
As shift ended, Nick headed to the grocery store and then made one other stop before heading home. Sara went home, collected her swim suit and put a change of clothes in her duffel bag to take to work before climbing back in her Tahoe and driving over to Nick's.  
  
He opened the door with a mischievous grin on his face. "Hey."  
  
"Hey." She looked at him curiously. As she walked in, she started to giggle. "What is this?"  
  
He grinned at her. "I'm trying to woo you, Sar."  
  
She pointed to the couch and shook her head. "What is that?"  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "A chunky monkey." There on the couch was a giant stuffed monkey.  
  
Sara glanced around the room and noticed that Nick had lit some candles and there was soft music playing.  
  
Nick walked up to her and slid his arms around her waist. "I'm even making quiche as we speak. I'm sure it's not as good as yours since it's frozen, but I've heard they're pretty good."  
  
Sara slid her arms up Nick's chest and encircled his neck. "Hmm, you're being quite domestic, Mr. Stokes."  
  
"Is that a good thing?" Nick leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.  
  
"Yeah." She mumbled against his lips.  
  
Nick released her from his embrace and led her over to the couch. "Chunky Monkey, meet Sara Sidle."  
  
Sara giggled and sat down on the couch, pulling Nick along with her so that he sat next to her. She reached over and cupped his cheek with her hand and pulled him in for a soft kiss.  
  
Nick slid his arms around her waist and Sara snaked her arms around his neck as they tasted each others lips for a while. Nick ran his tongue along Sara's bottom lip and as she parted her lips, their tongues began a thorough exploration of each others mouths. Nick's grip on her waist tightened and as she shifted her weight, he pulled her onto his lap. He slid a hand down to cup her butt, and the other he slid under the back of her shirt. Sara began pulling at the hem of Nick's shirt, wanting to touch the bare flesh underneath it. They would have continued like that if the buzzer on the oven timer hadn't gone off. They broke their kiss, breathlessly.  
  
Reluctantly, Sara pulled herself off of Nick's lap and stood up. "If I wasn't so hungry, I'd suggest we skip eating."  
  
Both of Nick's eyebrows shot up as he stood up. "Yeah?"  
  
Sara giggled and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "I told you I wasn't opposed to that."  
  
Nick pulled her in for another lingering kiss and then released her so he could pull the quiche out of the oven.  
  
They ate quietly, just grinning at each other.  
  
After they finished Sara took the dishes into the kitchen to put them in the sink. Nick came up behind her and as she turned to face him, he leaned in and kissed her, pressing her into the counter with his body. The kiss quickly deepened and Nick slid his hands under the back of Sara's shirt. She began tugging at his shirt and he let go of her long enough to pull his shirt over his head. Sara grabbed the hem of her own shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it on the floor with Nick's. Nick pulled her back into a deep kiss, a hand tangling in her hair as he cupped the back of her head. Their tongues probed each others mouths hungrily. Sara's hands slid down his chest to his waistband and unfastened the button on Nick's jeans before unzipping them. Nick was about to unfasten Sara's bra when they heard a knock at the door.  
  
They froze for a moment. They heard another knock at the door. They broke apart reluctantly and Nick reached down and handed Sara her shirt. "Why do I get the feeling that Warrick is on the other side of that door?"  
  
Sara was still trying to catch her breath as she pulled her shirt on. "Because he probably is."  
  
Nick zipped his pants back up and then grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. He glanced at the lit candles. "He's gonna know that something's up."  
  
They heard another knock.  
  
"Well he already knows I'm here, my Tahoe's in your driveway." Sara grinned.  
  
"Let him in?" Nick raised an eyebrow.  
  
Sara nodded. "Yeah."  
  
Nick leaned over and kissed Sara softly before he walked over to the front door and opened it to reveal a grinning Warrick. 


	13. Or Not

"Warrick, what brings you by?" Nick queried, trying to act more natural than he was feeling at the moment. Warrick raised an eyebrow. "You left your cell phone in the locker room."  
  
"It could have waited until next shift." Nick replied.  
  
"You have company?" Warrick queried suspiciously.  
  
"Yeah, Sara stopped by." Nick was certain that Warrick already knew this since Sara's Tahoe was parked in Nick's driveway.  
  
"Did her friend stand her up? Or are you the friend?" Warrick had a mischievous glint in his eye.  
  
Sara appeared in the doorway before Nick could respond. "Hey, Warrick."  
  
"Sara." Warrick grinned.  
  
Sara turned toward Nick. "Hey, thanks for letting me stop by, I found my hair scrunchie." She headed toward her Tahoe and waved. "See you guys tonight, gotta go meet my friend."  
  
Nick raised a hand and waved as if she had only stopped by to pick up something she'd left there on her way somewhere else.  
  
Warrick looked slightly confused, but quickly recovered. "Did you run your errands?  
  
Nick shook his head. "Not all of them. I've got a few more to run before I can get some sleep."  
  
"Alright then, see you tonight." Warrick started to head out to his Tahoe. "Hey, do you want to catch the game on Sunday?"  
  
"Sounds good. Hey, we could watch it here, big screen surround sound." Nick grinned.  
  
"Alright, it's a plan." Warrick climbed into his Tahoe and drove away.  
  
Nick decided that he'd better actually run some errands especially if his CSI senses were telling him that Warrick's CSI senses would be driving around the block a few times and maybe stopping by Sara's. He went inside and blew out all the candles, put the giant stuffed monkey into his bedroom, grabbed his keys and headed out the door. Once he was in his Tahoe, he dialed Sara's number.  
  
She picked up on the first ring. "Hey."  
  
He chuckled. "Hey, yourself. Pretty quick thinking there, Sidle."  
  
The tone in her voice indicated that she was smiling. "I thought so. I can't believe it worked though."  
  
Nick rolled his eyes slightly. "Well, that remains to be seen. I have a feeling that Warrick still has a bit more sneaky up his sleeve. I think he'll circle my block a few more times and then go circle yours before he gives up for the day."  
  
Sara giggled. "Well, what are you doing then?"  
  
"I thought I'd run some errands. I wasn't sure what else to do." Nick replied sheepishly.  
  
Sara was quiet. "So I guess that probably rules out you coming over here."  
  
"Unfortunately, yes." Nick replied with a sigh.  
  
"And it probably rules out me coming back over there." Sara continued.  
  
"Right again." Nick replied.  
  
"Hmm. And we're both going to be too tired to pick up where we left off by the time he gives up." Sara concluded.  
  
"Yeah." Nick let out a deep breath. "Hey, why don't I call you in a little while. We can at least talk before we go to sleep."  
  
"Ok." Sara didn't sound completely thrilled with the idea.  
  
Nick ran a few errands and headed back home. He was tired, but he wanted to talk to Sara. He kicked his shoes off as he came in the door and set his keys, wallet, and cell phone down on the counter. He picked up the cordless phone and dialed Sara's number.  
  
She picked up on the third ring. "Hello."  
  
"Hey, Princess." Nick had that 'hey, baby' tone in his voice.  
  
Sara giggled. "Hey, Chunky. What are you doing?"  
  
"I just walked in and I was going to get ready to go to sleep. What are you doing?" He grinned.  
  
"I'm taking a bath." Sara had a sultry tone in her voice.  
  
Nick audibly gulped. "Oh."  
  
Sara giggled. "What are you wearing?"  
  
Nick grinned and chuckled. "Sara Sidle, are you doing what I think you're doing?"  
  
She feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Nick continued. "Because if you are, I am far too overdressed for this conversation."  
  
Sara laughed. It was a deep throaty laugh. "Nicky, Nicky, Nicky."  
  
"You are doing what I think you are." Nick chuckled. "I don't care if Warrick finds out. I'm coming over there, because I sure as hell am not going to have phone sex with you when the only reason I'm not with you is because we're trying to torture Warrick."  
  
"There's a key under the mat, and before you give me a lecture, I only put it out there before I got in the bathtub." Sara chuckled as she replied.  
  
"I'll be there in less than ten minutes." Nick was already feeling a little too hot. He hung up the phone with Sara, put his shoes back on and grabbed his wallet, keys, and cell phone before running back out the door to his Tahoe. The ten minute drive to Sara's apartment was sheer torture. He ran up the steps to her second floor unit taking two at a time. He quickly found the key under the mat and unlocked the door, letting himself in. He closed the door and locked it behind him. He grinned as he took in the room. Sara had turned all the lights off save one over the stove in the kitchen. Nick kicked off his shoes and set his wallet, keys, and cell phone down on her counter. He wandered down the hall toward the bathroom, but noticed that the light was out and the tub was drained.  
  
He grinned as he slowly opened the door to Sara's bedroom. She had lit about dozen candles in there, and he could see her grinning in the dim light as she lay under the comforter on the bed.  
  
"You're still a little overdressed for this conversation, Nick." Sara grinned.  
  
Nick grinned back at her and quickly pulled off his socks. "That better?"  
  
Sara chuckled. "Not even close, Stokes."  
  
He pulled his shirt over his head and struck a pose. "This working for you?"  
  
Sara shook her head. "Nope."  
  
Nick grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows as he slowly unzipped his pants. "Better?"  
  
She nodded. "A little, but I think you can give me more than that."  
  
He chuckled and slid his jeans down and kicked them off so that he was clad only in his boxers. "Now this is what you want, right?"  
  
She giggled. "Take it all off, Nicky."  
  
Nick waggled his eyebrows at her and slid his boxers down and stepped out of them. He struck another pose and winked at her. "Better?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. Only one thing."  
  
Nick raised an eyebrow. "I don't have anything more to take off, Sidle."  
  
She giggled. "Uh, you could come join me."  
  
Nick chuckled and a slightly embarrassed grin crossed his face. "I certainly don't want to disappoint you." He crawled up on the bed and pounced on Sara.  
  
She let out a little yelp, but Nick quickly silenced it as his lips descended on hers and they became lost in each other as they touched, caressed, and explored each others bodies fully, finally making their bodies one and collapsing against each other spent. They drifted off to sleep, tangled together in Sara's bed. 


	14. Surprise Surprise Surprise

Nick woke up with a wide grin on his face. At that instant he realized something that he'd probably known for a while, but until that moment wasn't willing to admit. He looked at Sara who rested her head on his chest as she slept. One of her arms was slung across his waist.  
  
He didn't want to wake her, he just wanted to watch her sleep and memorize how she looked. A stray bit of her hair had fallen across her face as she slept and he couldn't resist brushing it away with his fingers.  
  
She began to stir and her eyes fluttered open. As sleepy smile spread across her face as she realized where she was and who she was with. "Hey, Nicky."  
  
"I didn't mean to wake you. You looked so peaceful." Nick replied, a hint of regret in his voice.  
  
"It's ok." She pulled herself up and hovered over him for a moment before planting a lingering kiss on his lips.  
  
As she pulled away, Nick reached up and caressed her face with his fingertips. "You're so beautiful." He smiled at her.  
  
Sara smiled and lay back down on Nick's chest, her head tucked under his chin. "This is nice."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah."  
  
They were quiet for a while, neither one of them wanting to break the feeling of closeness they shared. Finally, Sara broke the silence. "What are you thinking about?"  
  
Nick let out a soft chuckled. "You."  
  
Sara smiled. "Yeah? What about me?"  
  
Nick let out a deep breath.  
  
Sara lifted her head so she could meet his gaze.  
  
Nick smiled softly and trailed his fingers down the side of her face. "I'm in love with you, Sara."  
  
Sara didn't say anything for a moment. She just studied him. Slowly, a smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth. "You're in love with me?"  
  
Nick nodded. "Yeah."  
  
She began to giggle.  
  
Nick raised a curious eyebrow. "What's so funny?"  
  
"Warrick and Greg." She stated before she began to giggle again.  
  
Nick looked at her strangely. "I tell you that I'm in love with you, and you immediately think of Warrick and Greg?"  
  
Sara pressed her lips to Nick's for a moment to silence him and then broke away smiling. "I think they knew before we did."  
  
It took Nick a moment to process what she was saying. "We?"  
  
A grin spread across Sara's face. "Yeah. We." She leaned down and hovered a fraction of an inch from Nick's lips. "I'm in love with you too, Nicky." She pressed her lips to his again and Nick's arms held her solidly against him as he rolled them over so he could look down at her as he broke the kiss.  
  
He raised an eyebrow, a smile on his face. "You're in love with me?"  
  
She had an amused expression on her face. "Uh, huh."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Wow."  
  
Sara started to giggle as Nick began to pepper kisses on her neck.  
  
The phone on the nightstand by her bed rang. Sara reached for it as Nick continued to kiss her neck. "Hello?"  
  
"Sara. I was getting a little worried, you weren't answering your cell phone." Catherine explained.  
  
"Oh?" Sara wrinkled her brow and then bit her lip as Nick's hands began to roam and his lips continued their assault on her neck.  
  
"Yeah, you were going to come in a little early tonight to go over the Marino case with me. I thought you would have been here by now." Catherine continued.  
  
Sara let out an involuntary yelp and tried to glare at Nick who just waggled his eyebrows at her as he smiled. "Crap. Sorry, I guess I overslept."  
  
"Uh, huh." Catherine didn't sound too convinced.  
  
Sara tried to stifle a moan.  
  
Catherine started to chuckle. "You have company, don't you?"  
  
"Uh, what makes you say that?" Sara replied, hoping she sounded much calmer that she was feeling right at that moment.  
  
"Tell Nick that if you both get in here in the next thirty minutes that you might just beat Warrick." Catherine clearly sounded amused.  
  
Sara started to giggle. "Uh, ok, I'll tell him." Sara managed to hang the phone up. "You are in so much trouble, Nick Stokes."  
  
Nick just grinned at her and pressed his lips against her in a deep lingering kiss. As he pulled away, he gazed down at her. "Am I still in trouble?"  
  
She just smiled and raised an eyebrow at him. "We need to get to work."  
  
"Catherine?" Nick queried.  
  
"Yeah." Sara replied.  
  
"Can we continue this later?" Nick grinned.  
  
Sara giggled. "We'd better."  
  
Reluctantly, they pulled themselves out of bed and got dressed.  
  
Nick made it to work in twenty-three minutes, Sara in twenty-five. Catherine was seated at the break room table sipping a cup of coffee when Nick walked in. Catherine simply raised an eyebrow and chuckled at him. A few moments later when Sara walked in, Catherine rolled her eyes.  
  
Nick and Sara looked at her curiously. "What?" The question was in unison.  
  
"Those big dopey grins on your faces are a dead giveaway." Catherine continued to laugh softly.  
  
Before they could respond, Warrick walked in. "Dead giveaway for what?" When no one responded, Warrick studied the faces in the room and then started to laugh. "Damn. I knew it."  
  
Nick and Sara looked at him with curious expressions on their faces. Nick queried him. "What did you know?"  
  
Warrick just shook his head and raised an eyebrow before leveling his gaze at the pair. "You two. It's written all over your faces. I just want to know which one of you made the first move."  
  
Nick and Sara glanced at each other and started laughing.  
  
Catherine had a bemused grin on her face, and continued sipping her coffee silently.  
  
Greg walked in and looked around the room curiously. "What did I miss?"  
  
Warrick glanced over at him. "I think our bet's over."  
  
Greg's eyebrows shot up and he looked over at Nick and Sara. "You two are together?"  
  
Nick chuckled. "I think that's a fair assessment."  
  
Greg glanced at Warrick urgently, and then back at Nick and Sara. "So, which one of you made the first move?"  
  
Sara had a smug expression on her face. "Neither of you won if that's what you want to know."  
  
They looked at her with a bit of confusion.  
  
Nick grinned. "We know all about your bet. But Sara's right, neither of you won."  
  
Greg stammered. "But one of you had to make the first move. It was you, wasn't it, Nick?"  
  
Nick just shook his head. "Nope."  
  
Warrick grinned. "Well then, Sara, it was you?"  
  
She shook her head. "Try again."  
  
Warrick and Greg looked at each other with befuddled expressions.  
  
Catherine couldn't hold it in any longer, she started laughing. "Photo finish."  
  
Warrick and Greg looked at her oddly and then turned their attention back to Nick and Sara.  
  
Nick grinned. "We both did."  
  
Sara continued. "At the same time."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Too close to call."  
  
Warrick shook his head. "Damn. I was so looking forward to those Krispy Kremes too."  
  
Greg just shook his head.  
  
Catherine just raised a single eyebrow. "Ok, boys, pay up."  
  
Nick and Sara looked a little surprised. Nick just chuckled. "So you were in on this, Catherine?"  
  
She smiled. "Hey, I didn't sway the outcome. By the time I talked to both of you, I think it was firmly decided." She turned her attention back to Warrick and Greg. "Ok, so I have a nice long list of chores I need done at my house." 


End file.
